Bridge Over Troubled Water
by DiamondSavant
Summary: Bella Swan is having a hard time settling into her new home in Forks. Fortunately, she finds someone that can help her through the tough times. We all need someone to be our bridge over troubled water. This is the story of Bella and hers.
1. Chapter 1

**Bridge Over Troubled Water**

**Disclaimer: Twilight is the brainchild of Stephanie Meyer and not me. This story, however, is mine and Stephanie Meyer may not use or profit from my ideas in any way. **

**Chapter 1**

My name is Bella Swan. My life started out simple enough. I was raised by my mother Renee, but had recently moved to Forks to live with Charlie…my dad. It had taken a little while to get adjusted to my new life and at first things were still shaky for me. Little did I know, everything was about to become very different. My eyes were going to be opened to a world that I didn't know existed and things were never going to be the same.

I'll never forget that Saturday afternoon. I was very unhappy and had no idea how to make anything good again. I was lonely with superficial friends. I had a father that tried to be a good dad, but had no didn't what to do with me and I had a mother with a new husband, and for everything she had done for me she deserved to be a newlywed for a while. I was so lonely. I never really cried much and I tried not to sulk and dwell on how I felt, but lately the loneliness and unhappiness had gotten to be too much to bear. This particular day I had gone for a hike in the nearby woods, just to break up the monotony of my day. I actually enjoyed being outside and it hadn't rained, so that meant that the ground wouldn't be too muddy. I walked for about an hour looking around at the wildlife and enjoying the raw smells that are only found outdoors. For the first time since I had been in Forks I felt better. I felt free and hopeful, like things could possibly get better. This was a delicate happiness and I resolved to keep hiking to prolong this feeling for as long as possible before I had to head back home. I wandered around with no specific destination in mind and finally I decided that I should probably head home before I got lost. I walked for another thirty minutes before I would allow myself to admit that I was already completely and utterly lost. My good mood quickly dissipated and just like I felt my sad mood lift earlier, I began to feel the unhappiness and fear return and settle squarely on my shoulders weighing me down again as if it was a physical burden.

That's how things work for me it seems; good for a little while and then it is back to lonely Bella, sad and clumsy Bella, and now…just plain old Bella.

I have heard that the worst thing that you can do when you are lost is to continue walking, so I went to the nearest log I could find and decided to sit for a while so that I could get my bearings. As I sat I rested my head in my hands to try to calm myself and find some of the peace that I felt earlier, before I noticed that a light rain had begun to fall. It began gently enough but steadily grew stronger soaking my t-shirt and causing a chill to sweep over my body.

The rain was the catalyst; it was the final drop that broke the dam in my heart and pushed me over the edge and before I knew what was happening I found myself sobbing uncontrollably. I was broken and alone while salty tears mingled with the rain water that was already cascading down my face. Once again, I was crying all alone, and that knowledge only made the pain more intense.

While sitting there the rain had gotten stronger and so had my crying so I almost didn't hear it. During my most unhappy time I heard the most beautiful voice speaking from behind me.

"Hey, there. Stop that, okay? You don't have to cry."

I quickly tried to compose myself as I looked around to find the owner of the voice that I had just heard. When I finally spotted Alice Cullen standing in the clearing I was struck silent. I had seen her at school many times before, but I had never heard her voice or have been this close to her and I had to admit that I'd never seen a lovelier creature in my life. For a short moment I had gotten lost again. Although this time I was not lost in the woods, but lost in an amazing pair of golden eyes. She was small and pale and her hair was black and slicked down by the rain, but normally she wore it cut stylishly and she always seemed to have each strand individually placed in exactly the right spot. Her clothing was a simple pair of jeans, a tank top, with a light jacket over it. She was definitely perfection and I…well, I was just Bella Swan; soaking wet, and I'm sure that by now my eyes and nose were both red and I knew that I lived on the opposite side of anything that resembled perfect. To be out in the pouring rain Alice looked great, but she still held a look of surprise at finding me out in the woods in such a state. I briefly wondered what she was doing out here as well, but I quickly lost my train of though as I shifted under her gaze. Slowly and cautiously Alice walked over to me with a small smile and a look of concern on her face. "Bella, right? What's the matter? Why are you crying?"

"It's nothing! D-don't worry I'm fine..." I nervously responded as I hastily wiped at my face in an unsuccessful attempt to remove any evidence of my crying.

The look that she gave me instantly told me that she didn't believe me, but she let it go and for that I was grateful.

"Do you mind if I sit for a while?" Alice asked as she gracefully walked over to the log where I sat. I gave a small nod and she sat down beside me and looked over at me under her eyelashes and smiled. She had to know how incredibly adorable that looks. We sat together quietly for a few moments before she spoke again.

"You know… it's a shame that we have never spoken before; I see you around school a lot. We share study hall and we have lunch the same period!"

"Yeah. I see you around too, but I guess I don't really talk to anyone." I replied, looking away from her face to avoid meeting her eyes.

"And why not, Bella Swan?" she said, smiling. "You seem to be able to talk just fine. Here I am, almost a perfect stranger, and you can talk to me." She softly laughed at herself and the sound of her laughter was almost enough to make me forget about what had been bothering me.

I chuckled softly and shook my head slightly as I spoke again. "Yeah, I am talking to you, huh?" Again we lapsed into a comfortable silence. There was no need to scramble for a topic to talk about. We just sat there, occasionally glancing at each other and smiling. I don't know what it was about her, but she seemed to have a calming effect on me and for that short time everything in the world was calm and perfect.

It was just me and Alice. Two people that hardly knew each other sitting quietly and enjoying each other's company. I'm not sure how long we had sat there, but I do know that I didn't want it to end. Alice was very comfortable to be around and her presence was soothing which surprised me because I was normally nervous around new people. I was interrupted from my thoughts when overhead a flock of birds took off from the surrounding trees, and I looked up and noticed how dark the sky had gotten. _"Wow, had we really been out here that long?"_ I thought to myself. It was so easy to be around her that it didn't even feel like we had been sitting there for as long as we had been.

"Sorry Alice, it's getting dark. I think I have to get going now." I said as I looked over to her. The truth was that I could have spent the whole night just sitting there with her. Not saying a word, just stealing glances whenever I noticed she wasn't looking. She was incredibly different from anyone I had ever met. She was beautiful and there was something about her that drew me to her like a magnet. We had spoken less than ten sentences to each other and already I knew that I wanted to know her more. "Thank you, Alice."

Alice looked up at me and scrunched her nose, as she stood up and dusted off her jeans. "You're welcome. Oh and…um…do you know your way home from here?"

"Actually, I have no idea how to get home." I said, my embarrassment at my situation showing itself with a blush and a small nervous laugh.

"Good thing I know my way around here," Alice smirked. "Follow me" she said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards what I hoped to be the right direction. As we walked, Alice and I had gotten to know each other a little better. I already knew that she and her other four siblings were the adopted kids of Dr. Cullen. I had also known that two of her "siblings" were involved. Half of the students at Forks High School held a weird fascination with the Cullen kids, but even with that fascination they made sure to keep plenty distance between themselves and the newcomers. The other half of the student body thought of the Cullens as weird and kept distance also, but with them it was more like they were outcasts instead of the object of the students' curiosity. I told her about my life in Phoenix and how living here, in Forks, wasn't quite how I imagined it would be.

Alice slowed down and gently grabbed my arm to stop me from walking. "Is that why you were so upset earlier? Because you don't like it here?" she softly asked.

As I thought about my answer I looked down at her hand that was holding my arm. Her hand was so cold on my skin, yet I couldn't help but notice how nice the contrast between our body temperatures felt. I raised my eyes to hers and simply nodded. If I opened my mouth to speak, I was certain I would begin to cry again, and I didn't want to cry around Alice. It wasn't that I was ashamed of crying around her. I just wanted the rest of the day to go by smoothly before we went our separate ways.

We looked at each other for another moment before Alice spoke again. "Well, I'm sorry you are so sad, but for what it's worth I'm glad that you are here. I think you're special, and I can't wait to get to know you more, Bella Swan. It will get better…I promise." She smiled reassuringly.

I tilted my head to the side while looking at her. "You promise? How can you promise something like that?" I asked her.

"I just can. You'll see!" She said as she began walking backwards while still smiling at me.

I continued to walk after her until I caught up with her and we began walking again slowly again; each of us lost in our own thoughts. All I could think about was how beautiful she was and how she managed to turn my whole day around just by being there. Such a simple gesture but it tugged at my heart how selfless an action it was. Now that I think of it, I still don't really know that much about her. This whole day had taken a surprising turn for the best. If nothing else, I had made a new friend and found someone that I was completely comfortable around. The thing is that I have no idea why I am so comfortable around her. Normally, I tend to take a while to warm up to someone before I let my guard down, but Alice had managed to completely side step all of my walls and walked right into my comfort zone. I wasn't shy or afraid, I was simply comfortable. I had never met anyone that could make me feel so at ease and at this point I wasn't going to question it. We walked along for a little while longer when I noticed that we were nearing my house.

"Well, I think this is your stop. Are you feeling better?" she asked, with concern clouding her golden eyes.

I blushed and looked away as I answered, "Yeah I'll be okay. I guess I just had to get that out of my system. You know…" I trailed off.

"Yeah, I know. So I guess I'll see you at school on Monday?" Alice asked, slightly hopeful.

"Yes, I'll be there…oh, and Alice? Thank you again." I nervously added before she could turn away to head home.

"Anytime, Bella." She softly replied, but before I could walk away, Alice pulled me into a soft hug. The hug lasted no more than five seconds, but during that time it seemed as though everything stopped. Time was irrelevant and all of the emotions that had troubled me ceased to exist. I didn't feel the wind blowing and I didn't hear the birds singing anymore. The only thing that I became aware of was me and Alice standing here locked in a shy but intimate embrace. Time simply froze and I found myself caught in the moment that I was sharing with Alice. She smelled incredible and every point that her body touched mine I felt a subtle, but unmistakable tingle. Her hands innocently caressed my back and I gently squeezed hers in return. As we embraced I let out a quiet sigh and I heard her inhale into my neck. We slowly parted and stared into each other's eyes, both surprised at what we experienced and sad that it had been such a quick and fleeting moment.

"Goodnight, Bella Swan. See you soon." Alice whispered as she slowly began to walk towards the road on her way home.

Alice had been gone for a few moments before I whispered my own "Goodnight, Alice" after her into the darkness then reluctantly made my way into the house so that I could get cleaned up and then get dinner ready for Charlie. I had been gone for a while so he was probably worried and more than a little hungry by now.

I didn't know what had just happened with Alice, but I knew that she was going to be someone special to me. I'd known her for a few hours and she was already important to me. By the time I went into the bathroom to get ready for my shower, my thoughts were still centered on Alice and before I stepped into the shower, I stopped for a moment and took a good look at myself in the mirror. I thought: She is right. Things will get better. Then I did something that I haven't done much of since I've been here at Forks: I smiled.

**So, I hope you all liked my story. It's my first and honestly I need all the feedback I can get so please review! I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Thanks to ShatteredPerfection, uninhibited spirit, and Emryk Cullen. You guys are GREAT! I'm off to writing so that you guys don't have to wait too long for Chapter 2.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Bridge Over Troubled Water**

**Disclaimer: Twilight is the brainchild of Stephanie Meyer and not me. This story, however, is mine and Stephanie Meyer may not use or profit from my ideas in any way. **

**Thanks to everyone that read, alerted, and reviewed the last chapter. I must admit that I do understand why authors ask for reviews. It feels good to know that people are enjoying your story and are looking forward to reading the next chapter. Also, I do apologize for the long delay. The past week was pretty busy and I wasn't able to spend as much time writing as I wanted to. Rest assured there won't be this much time between postings in the future.**

**Chapter 2**

The weekend following my little excursion into the woods passed relatively quickly and quietly. I mostly studied and tried to keep busy so that I wouldn't get too excited about seeing Alice again. Although I was excited, I was also a little scared. _What if she doesn't want to speak to me at school? What if I go to speak to her and she looks at me as if I'm no one to her. _That was the last thing I wanted to happen. Based on how sweet she was to me, I don't think she would do that, but then again I don't really know her. I guess I will just have to wait and see, but I will prepare myself for rejection from her so that it won't bother me as bad.

As usual, Monday morning arrived way too soon and unfortunately it brought more cold temperatures and rain. I woke and showered and made sure to layer my clothing so that I wouldn't get too cold while outside and hurriedly went downstairs to get breakfast so that I can start my day.

My morning classes were boring, but fortunately the first half of the day went by reasonably fast. I was surprised that it went by as quickly as it did. I thought that my excitement over seeing Alice and how she would react to me today would show it down considerably. Although she hadn't given me any indication that she would behave this way, I still retained that small fear that I would be ignored and tried to keep my expectations down, just in case.

Soon it was finally time for lunch and I walked slowly to the cafeteria and through the line with my tray before I sat at my normal table. I've been sitting with the same group since I got here and although they were nice to hang with sometimes I really couldn't consider them friends yet. I didn't really open up enough to anyone for them to become real friends, although they seemed genuinely interested in becoming friends. Correction: Angela and Eric were. Mike was mostly interested in dating me, while Jessica was interested in dating Mike, which caused a few complications. At that point, Angela was the closest thing to a friend that I had here at Forks High School. We even talked after school and made plans to do something one weekend, but she didn't try to pressure me into hanging out or anything, which I appreciated. They were all pretty nice and they kept me from being bored in the classes that I shared with them. Mike would be okay if he weren't always trying to take me out all the time.

"So, Bella!" Mike called although I was sitting right next to him. "Are you busy this weekend? Maybe we can get together and do something…"

Just as I was about to reply, I heard a loud scrape across the cafeteria and my attention was drawn over to the Cullen table. Alice had grabbed her chair and dragged it loudly across the floor grabbing the attention of most that were in the cafeteria having lunch. The large one named Emmett had laughed loudly at this action and at the glances it had caused. Alice merely sat casually down in her chair and looked up directly at me smiling slyly and sending a small wave in my direction.

Alice didn't know this but she had just saved me from having to let poor Mike down…again. I shot a smile over to her and waved back, grateful for the interruption and just happy to see her. Alice sat and looked at me for a moment before I broke eye contact, unable to contain my blush any longer.

"Bella?" I heard Jessica speak my name from beside me. When I looked over at her I noticed a curious look on her face and I knew she was going to ask how I knew Alice. The Cullens weren't known for being outgoing with anyone but themselves, so Alice speaking to me was a rare occurrence and was noticed by quite a few students who were now looking at me no doubt wondering why one of the Cullens was paying attention to someone outside their circle.

"So, how do you know Alice?" Jessica asked.

"We met over the weekend." I replied, not eager at all to speak about the circumstances surrounding our unexpected meeting.

"Where?" Unfortunately, Jessica wanted more information and from looking around the table I noted that Mike and Eric were also looking at me. Angela was able to be more subtle with her curiosity, but I could tell that she was interested in knowing, as well.

"We just bumped into each other on Saturday," I explained, hoping that would be enough for them for now. No one pressed me for anymore information and I took that as an opportunity to make a quick escape. "Look, guys I have to stop by my truck before my next class. I'll see you soon" and I hurriedly prepared to leave before anyone could ask anymore questions or offer to go with me. I glanced back at Alice's table again as I gathered my things and noticed that she wasn't there, but I didn't allow myself any time to think about this for long.

After I had discarded my tray I made my way out into the parking lot looking forward to a little bit of time to myself and away from everyone else. I still had about 10 minutes left before I needed to get to my next class. As I exited to the parking lot I looked towards my truck to see Alice leaning against it waiting for me. Wow, she even makes waiting look cool. Today she had her hair in her signature style and fortunately there was no rain today that would mess it up the way it was the day we met. She was also wearing a pair of designer jeans with a crisp white button-down shirt with a pair of black boots. Just looking at her outfit I felt so inadequate with my jeans, t-shirt and sneakers on. Sometimes I wanted to try other things, but I had no idea how to fix my wardrobe and I also had absolutely no patience with shopping.

When I finally was within reaching distance of Alice she gently grabbed my arm and pulled me into a soft and quick hug. I was surprised, but returned her hug and enjoyed the brief sensation of her body against mine. _What was wrong with me? First off, I don't normally get so smitten with someone after knowing them for such a short time. Secondly, I was never comfortable with displaying affection, but I hug and enjoy Alice as if we had known each other for much longer. There is definitely something about her, but I don't know what it is. _ I was brought out of my musing when Alice spoke.

"Hi, Bella! How was your weekend?" she asked with her usual enthusiasm. _What is she always so excited about_, I wondered.

"Hey Alice. My weekend was pretty quiet. How was yours?"

Alice smiled at me before replying. "It was okay. A little boring, but what can you expect in Forks?" she replied, chuckling to herself. "I hope you don't mind me coming out here to talk during your break. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm doing okay. Much better, actually. Thank you again for that" I told her. "You didn't have to sit out there in the rain with me, so I really appreciate it, so thanks…" I trailed off when I realize I had begun rambling. As if that wasn't enough I had begun to blush and I looked away automatically. _Way to look silly, Bella_ I thought to myself.

I waited for my blush to clear before I looked back up and when I did I noticed that Alice had closed her eyes and she wore an expression that I had never seen before and unfortunately I couldn't read it. It was an expression that was somewhere between pleasure and pain, but it was gone so quickly that I began to doubt I had seen it at all. She opened her eyes and soon an amused expression spread across her face as she spoke to me. "It was no trouble at all, so stop thanking me. Okay?" I nodded before she continued. "So, Bella. Do you like movies? Would you like to go with me to see one this weekend?"

_Where did that come from? _That had to have been the most random question I've ever heard and it came from the most unexpected person ever. Alice Cullen wanted to hang out with me. I was stuck speechless and just looked at her for a moment with wide eyes. Alice cleared her throat and I realized that she was still waiting on an answer from me.

"Um, sure Alice. That would be great," I managed to reply without stuttering or stumbling on my words while I recovered from the surprise of her question.

"Great!" Alice beamed. "Pick out what you want to see and we can figure out the time later this week. I'm okay with whatever you want to see."

"Okay, sounds good," I responded, returning her smile. Just then the bell sounded letting us know that lunch period was almost over. "Well, I guess I'll see you around then." I said awkwardly, not knowing how to continue the conversation from this point.

"Bye, Bella," was all she replied as she began to head to her next class. I watched her retreating back for a moment before I continued grabbing my things for the rest of the school day. As I was closing the driver side door I noticed a slip of folded paper that was stuck in the window of the door. I grabbed the paper and unfolded it to find Alice's number written on it in what had to be the neatest handwriting that I have ever seen. _Wow. Even her writing is perfect._ I thought as I folded it and stuffed it into my pocked before hurrying off to class.

The remainder of my day went by in a blur. Half of my attention had been on what my teachers were saying, but the other half was on my parking lot encounter with Alice Cullen. What does she want with me? She practically came out of nowhere and is now speaking to me and asking me out on the weekend and leaving me a note with her telephone number on it. Not that I was complaining, but it was all so sudden. The thought of spending time with her was very appealing. I still haven't been able to pinpoint what it is about her that I like, or even how I like her. True, I haven't had much experience in the dating department but the tingles I felt when we hugged the first time were definitely not friendly tingles. The way I felt around her was another thing. She made me feel both at ease and nervous at the same time. When I first met her she was comforting, but today I was beyond awkward but not so much that I didn't want to be around her. I still couldn't wait for the week to be over so that I could spend more time with her and finally have a full conversation with her. It would be nice to get to know her finally. I decided to save her number into my cell phone before I did something very Bella-like and lost the paper.

The day ended quickly and without incident and I walked back to my truck. Unfortunately, I didn't see Alice for the remainder of the day, but I did see a few of her siblings. Whereas Alice was mostly easy to be around her siblings were not necessarily so. The tall one, Emmett, seemed like a giant kid. He was goofy and was usually seen smiling or laughing at some joke he most likely just told. I didn't really have an opinion about Edward. I shared Biology with him and he seemed nice enough. Quiet of course, but he mostly kept to himself and was always polite when interacting with other students. The two blondes, though, I was not too sure about. Jasper usually seemed like he was always experiencing something unpleasant. The only time I have had to deal with him was when I accidently ran into him while leaving the lunchroom one day. He apologized to me even though I was the one to run into him, so he at least was a gentleman. Rosalie, on the other hand, I absolutely avoided at all costs…as did all of the other students at Forks High. She was beautiful and she knew it. She wasn't rude to anyone, but she always seemed to be looking down at everyone. I didn't know what her problem was and I was determined not to ever have to find out. Rosalie simply intimidated the hell out of me.

At this point, all the pondering about the Cullens made the reality of my situation jump back to the front of my mind. Alice asked me to go out with her to a movie this weekend. Wait a minute; Alice asked me _out _this weekend. Is this a date? I am going on a _date _with Alice Cullen.

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I do feel as though it is a little rushed, but I wanted to get something out to you guys before life took over again. And once more, I'm terribly sorry for the long break in between updates. Please keep reading and let me know what you think so far. Thank you!**


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